1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable steam cleaners for general household or commercial use, and, more specifically, to systems and methods for redistributing the flow of steam to focus cleaning efforts on particular locations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Steam cleaning devices are commonly used to clean hard floor surfaces such as tile, vinyl, wood, and the like. Such devices operate on the principle of using steam or very warm water to break up encrusted grime, sticky and oily substances, and the like. Examples of steam cleaners are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,433,451; 5,502,872; 5,920,952; 6,148,144; and 8,052,342, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Such steam cleaners employ a variety of steam vent arrangements to deposit the steam on the underlying surface. For example, the device in U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,451 distributed steam via a “spray hose” having a number of spaced openings directly facing the underlying surface. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,551, which is also incorporated herein by reference, selectively distributes steam to different zones located below the cleaning head. Such devices covers all of the steam outlets, making it impossible to accurately assess cleaning performance or even which vents are in operation.
Known steam cleaners also use various types of heater. For example, the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,952 uses a steam tank, whereas the device in U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,421 uses an “instantaneous” heater that provides on-demand steam generation that converts fluid to steam as it passes through the heating block's internal passages, and does not have a separate steam tank. The foregoing patents are incorporated herein by reference.
It is also known to use steam cleaners in conjunction with vacuum cleaners, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,433,451 and 6,571,421. Known steam cleaners also employ a variety of fluid tank and steam generator locations, and use devices such as dry-break valves to provide removable supply tanks, induction heaters, immersion heaters, and so on.
Despite the prior use and design of steam cleaners, there still exists a need to provide enhanced cleaning performance, and more user-friendly systems.